The purpose of this e-mail newsletter is to help keep the District's stakeholders informed of education-related issues. The Board of Education appreciates your support of excellence in education.

Christopher James of Osborne High Named District Teacher of the Year

Christopher James, special education teacher at Osborne High School, was selected as the 2010-2011 district Teacher of the Year! Superintendent Fred Sanderson surprised Mr. James with the announcement during Osborne's academic pep rally Aug. 13. He now represents Cobb in the statewide program, which will announce a winner later this school year. Mr. James is also the high school level Teacher of the Year, which made him eligible for the district-wide merit. View photos from the announcement on the CobbCast news blog.

Cobb County high school students posted their sixth consecutive composite-score increase on the ACT, recently released scores show. On the 2010 ACT, Cobb students also outperformed their peers at the state and national level in every section of the college preparation test. By topping state and national averages in all four subject areas, Cobb graduates indicated they are well prepared for college or career choices.

• Approved an increase in seating capacity for the theater replacement at Lassiter High School, which is part of a comprehensive SPLOST renovation at the school. The Board action also designated the theater as a District-wide performance venue. The increase in seating capacity will be achieved within the overall renovation project's existing budget of $16.2m.

• Approved award of contract for building modifications and renovation at Harrison High School to Lovvorn Construction of Carrollton, GA at a cost of $238,000. The school's existing automotive lab will be converted into a TV broadcast media lab.

Thanks to all of Cobb's students, parents, teachers and staff members for an excellent start to a new year of learning and student achievement.

Four SPLOST III Artificial Turf Fields Ready For Students, FootballSouth Cobb High School's new artificial turf field was among three installed in time for the start of the 2010 football season.

Football teams at four Cobb County high schools will run onto the gridiron of new artificial turf fields when they kick off the 2010 season! The SPLOST III-funded fields at Kennesaw Mountain, Pope, South Cobb and Walton high schools are in place and ready for use by classes and teams. Click here to view photos of three of the completed fields.

Meanwhile, a second phase of installations is under way for Campbell, Osborne and Pebblebrook high schools and will be completed just a few weeks into the fall semester. Wheeler, Kell, Sprayberry, Harrison, and Lassiter are scheduled for turf installation following completion of fall athletics and activities. The final phase is scheduled for summer 2011 and will include North Cobb, Allatoona, Hillgrove, and McEachern high schools.

A Letter To The Community and Staff
From the Board of EducationBoard Sets Preliminary Timeline
For Superintendent Search

The Cobb County Board of Education has begun the process of hiring a new superintendent for our school district. As you know, current Superintendent Fred Sanderson has announced his retirement effective June 30, 2011. The school board also is experiencing transition with at least two new members taking office on January 1, 2011. The current board met on August 23, 2010 to discuss the superintendent search process and timeline, and made the following decisions:

The new superintendent will be hired by the Board of Education that takes office on Jan. 1, 2011. The current Board will begin the process of gathering public input and accepting applications.

In early September, the school district will conduct focus groups to determine desired qualities and attributes of superintendent candidates.

Also in early September, the school district will conduct an online survey that solicits input from the broader community on desired qualities of superintendent candidates.

The superintendent position opening will be advertised in October or early November.

The Board of Education will hire a neutral outside group or firm to receive applications and pare them down to a manageable set of qualified candidates.

In January, the Board of Education will begin considering and interviewing candidates.

We wanted to share this information with you to ensure you are informed throughout the process. We look forward to your input and believe that together we will find an outstanding candidate to lead our great school district.